"This was a very good homestand," Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "We swung the bats well, didn't mishandle the baseball for the most part and had some good, solid pitching. We just have to take the same attitude as we go on this road trip."

The Sox travel to New York for the first time this season to face the Yankees beginning Tuesday night before meeting the Detroit Tigers next weekend. Despite having their six-game winning streak snapped as they completed a 6-1 homestand, the Sox maintained a one-game lead over second-place Kansas City, which lost to third-place Minnesota.

"We have to play well," Sox designated hitter Frank Thomas said. "We have to play one game better than [Kansas City and Minnesota]. That's what's important now. We wanted to be in this position. Now we just have to earn it."

Thomson (12-10), who won his fifth straight decision, outdueled Jon Garland (9-10), who registered a career-high 10 strikeouts. Garland gave up just three runs and five hits in seven-plus innings. He was removed in favor of Kelly Wunsch after Donnie Sadler led off the eighth with a single.

"I was happy throwing all my pitchescurveball, fastball, all of them," Garland said. "But we lost. It pretty much comes down to a 'W' and an 'L.'"

Thomson walked just one and struck out six. It was the ninth complete game of his career and second this season.

Thomas said Thomson "was throwing the ball 94 or 95 [m.p.h.] and was hitting the corners. He didn't leave the ball over the plate. If you can throw strikes on the corners, you're going to win some ballgames."

Few Sox hitters had faced Thomson before Sunday.

"I got one at-bat against him in the spring," Thomas said. "I don't know much about him at all. He had good stuff."

The Rangers scored twice in the third inning when Todd Greene singled and Hank Blalock smacked his 23rd homer into the right-field seats.

"I wouldn't say it was a bad pitch," Garland said. "It was bad location. It was a changeup, and it stayed up and he hit it well."

Said Manuel: "With the way that guy was pitching, that was more than enough. He was an impressive pitcher today."

The Rangers tacked on three runs in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded double by Mark Teixeira off reliever Scott Sullivan. Teixeira's drive into the gap in left-center was misplayed by left fielder Carlos Lee, who was charged with an error.

Texas had won eight in a row coming into this series, including a three-game sweep of the Sox last weekend in Texas.

The Sox's 24-13 second-half record is tops in the American League. The White Sox are 43-23 at home but just 26-39 on the road. The Sox went 1-6 on their last road trip.

"We want to win the [Yankees] series," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "Two out of three would be great. We just need to play better on the road. That's probably No. 1."